In Miami, soccer balls are turned into one-of-a-kind art as World Cup nears

MIAMI: (Apr 14)  Lili Cantero thinks of soccer as family. The artist from Paraguay — someone who has built a devoted following in the soccer world, with her work admired by Argentina captain and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, among others — still has fond childhood memories of gathering with relatives around a radio to listen to matches almost every weekend.

“That’s where my love for the game began,” Cantero said. “For me, soccer, futbol, is being with family and being with friends. The game is not just a game. It’s a culture. It’s love. It is family. It is friendship.”